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Friday, 31 October 2014

A.P. Government Using Big Data Analytics

There was a news item in Andhra Jyothi dated 05-Oct-2014 on how the government of Andhra Pradesh is leveraging Analytics for efficiencies in welfare schemes implementation and benefits disbursal. I searched the web but could not find this coverage in other papers and channels. So I translated the Andhra Jyothy news report into English, to add to the knowledge base on Big Data Analytics.

I.T. whip on the ineligible
Big Data Analytics Technology for weeding out the ineligible in welfare schemesHyderabad, October 4 (Andhra Jyothi).
A.P C.M is getting ready to use technology to weed out the ineligible from Government welfare schemes. As a part of that (exercise), Chandrababu has started trials with 'Big Data Analytics' technology, which is becoming very much popular in I.T. world recently. He is thinking of efficiently utilizing this technology to filter the information with government in various ways and remove ineligible people from welfare schemes.

In recent times, major I.T. companies are preparing special programmes to do some new types of analysis after taking voluminous data accumulated in various forms, and distill the required information. These are being referred to as Big Data Analytics.

Chandrababu who is very much ahead in using Information Technology has given his attention to them as soon as he became chief minister. For example, he has focussed his attention to applying this technology for removing ineligible people in pension schemes.

Those who receive social security pension are getting Rs. 1,000 per month from October. Government stated some guidelines to get this pension. Recently he got a regional level survey done in conjunction with Aadhar card to know whether pensioners are following these rules or not. As a result of this, it came to be known that approximately three and a half lakhs beneficiaries are non existent. After a local level scrutiny, in the second phase they started filtering pensioners details with experts related to Big Data Analytics.

When age details registered on Aadhar card and ration cards were compared with pensioners details another one and a half lakh ineligible people came to be known. It was discovered that they are taking pensions even if they are not 65 years of age.

Even in widow pensions some ineligible people were found.

Some other analyses are also being done on the matter of whether pension beneficiaries are really poor or not. Taking the names of four wheelers owners from transportation department they are checking whether there any pensioners in them. Similarly taking land owners names from revenue department they are seeing how much land is on the pensioners names. Taking electricity bills from electricity department they are checking details of how much electricity bill is coming on the pensioners name. If someone is paying very high electricity bill or has very large land, or there is a four wheeler on their name, that pensioner's details are being taken to the local level to get them checked once more.

The analysis is being done with the aim to give pensions to all eligible people, and at the same time not give (the same) to even one ineligible person.

The government is also thinking of doing this type of analyses on those who are taking subsidy rice.

Government has received complaints that many people are taking white ration cards only to use health care scheme, and most do not actually take ration rice. The government has decided to to delink ration cards and health care scheme and issue health care cards separately. The government wants to ensure that subsidised rice reaches the real poor people only.

Going forward, it has also been decided to use these type of analyses to sanction pucca houses to the poor.

Government has lots of data. Many misunderstandings happen because data with one department is not known to another department. 'Since he has he has eagerness on using technical knowhow Chandrababu has put his sight on this. Government will save a lot of money due to such analytics. He has specially established a back office for these analyses', one official informed.